Watchman, tell us of the night,
What its signs of promise are.
Traveler, o’er yon mountain’s height,
See that glory beaming star.
Watchman, does its beauteous ray
Aught of joy or hope foretell?
Traveler, yes—it brings the day,
Promised day of Israel.

Watchman, tell us of the night;
Higher yet that star ascends.
Traveler, blessedness and light,
Peace and truth its course portends.
Watchman, will its beams alone
Gild the spot that gave them birth?
Traveler, ages are its own;
See, it bursts o’er all the earth.

Watchman, tell us of the night,
For the morning seems to dawn.
Traveler, darkness takes its flight,
Doubt and terror are withdrawn.
Watchman, let thy wanderings cease;
Hie thee to thy quiet home.
Traveler, lo! the Prince of Peace,
Lo! the Son of God is come!

John Bowring [Sir] died this date, 11/23/1872, at Devon, England. His trade/ manufacture was in woolen goods. It was so extensive that it increased his natural abilities in languages. One report has him flu­ent in over twenty (20) lan­guages and speaking eighty (80) more. Another report would place his speaking skills as high as a hundred (100) languages with a limited knowledge of up to two hundred (200). In either case he had a phenomenal God–given strength and seems could carry on business in following named tongues: Boheman, Danish, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Serbian, Spanish, Swedish.

He served twice in Parliament, held several high government positions to foreign countries including being the governor of Hong Kong, and was knight by Queen Victoria. In addition to all the worldly fame he had a deep interest in God as the above hymn shows and as his additional twenty (20) some others show. His more famous one is “In the Cross of Christ I Glory” – see 10/17/2009 of this blog.

This is the date, 8/24/1572, that thousands of French Christians called Huguenots were massacred in France. Roman Catholic conspirators apparently acting under orders of Catherine de Medici, killed those they would have called “Protestants.” (Catherine de Medici was advisor to her son, King Charles IX.)

Known also as the “St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre,” it saw the slaughtering of thousands. These men and women had added to the intellectual, educational and financial reserves of the French – France became a poorer nation because of this terrible day/night.